(1) Field of the Invention
The invention disclosed herein generally relates to devices and methods for training baseball players in the skill of batting. More specifically, this invention relates to devices for teaching a baseball player proper foot and lower body techniques for batting, including the optimal stride length, direction, and toe-orientation.
Although the sport of baseball has been in existence for many years, and is played by very young individuals as well as old, it is quite difficult to hit a baseball with a bat. Even the most accomplished professional fails to hit the ball well enough to put it into play more than one out of three times at bat. Current batting theory teaches the batter to stride forward, in a direction parallel to and toward the oncoming pitched ball. One prevailing philosophy holds that the batter should stride forward forcefully, to effect a weight shift from the back foot to the front foot toward the pitcher's mound. While striding, the batter should keep the leading front foot oriented perpendicularly to the path of the oncoming pitched baseball (outer ankle forward), so that the batter's toes do not point toward the pitching mound. Toe pivoting allowing the toes to point toward the pitching mound may cause the batter's knee and hip to improperly “open up” to face the oncoming ball, thereby unnecessarily altering the batter's skeletal and muscular alignment mid-swing when it is most critical to maintain coordinated swinging motion and leg strength.
The optimal length and direction of stride, and the optimal foot orientation, may differ for each individual depending upon his or her physical attributes and inclinations. Many batter's are naturally inclined to stride forward with the toes of the lead foot pointing directly at the pitcher's mound. The optimal batting stride and technique for each batter may require a uniquely different combination of biasing to obtain the desired stride length, direction, and toe-orientation. It may be difficult for some batters to maintain proper balance following the forward stride, if the batter's leading toes are not pointing at least diagonally toward the pitching mound. The toes are critical in maintaining balance, and any device for teaching batting techniques should not create substantial destabilizing impediments or hindrance during the stride forward.
There is therefore a need for a device capable of biasing the leading foot away from having the toes point directly at or toward the pitcher's mound, yet do so in such a manner that optimizes the stride length, direction and toe-orientation for that particular batter without erecting any substantial destabilizing hindrance.
(2) Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed under 37 C.F.R. 1.97 and 1.98
The following patents are arguably relevant to the patentability of the invention disclosed herein:
U.S. Pat. No.1st InventorDate3,350,096Kile et alOct. 31, 19673,372,930SertichMar. 12, 19683,466,040SertichSep. 9, 19693,815,906HermoJun. 11, 19744,194,735WilsonMar. 25, 19804,516,772StrattonMay 14, 19854,932,656PierceJun. 12, 19905,318,290SawyerJun. 7, 19945,613,677Walker, Jr.Mar. 25, 1997
U.S. Pat. No. 3,350,096 issued to Kile et al discloses a guide for constraining the batter from stepping out of the batter's box, and to encourage the batter to stand toward the home plate. Kile discloses a guide for restricting movement of a batter's foot, to prevent the leading foot from stepping out of the batter's box. Kile claims a guide for restricting a batter's foot during batting practice, comprising a pair of parallel track means (wires) extending longitudinally beside the batter's box, with a foot stirrup resiliently attached between those track members. According to Kile, this device allows relatively free movement of the leading front foot forward during the batting stride, but normally constrains lateral movement of the foot. Kile uses track wires elevated slightly above the ground, posing some danger of the batter tripping over them, perhaps at a critical time such as when dodging an errant baseball pitch. Although Kile believes that there is little danger of the back foot tripping over the guide wires, Kile never discusses the prospects of the leading foot tripping over the guides wires. By contrast, the invention disclosed herein elastically tethers the foot without anything to trip over or otherwise prevent the batter's toes from maintaining balance. Kile also indicates that lateral movement of the foot is constrained, while forward movement is relatively free. By contrast, the present invention constrains movement essentially equally in all directions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,772 issued to Stratton discloses an elongated raised guiding rail with a rider sliding thereon, including a paddle-like front foot guide restricting movement of the front foot as it strides forward during batting. The Stratton device suffers the same destabilization problems as the Kile device; the foot paddle and rail present obstacles to catch the batter's toes at an inopportune time, such as when it is crucial for the batter to dodge a pitch that is either errant or intentionally thrown across the inside corner of home plate.